More No-Recipe "Recipes"

Slow Roasted Tomatoes

I've been cooking forever. It has been over a half century. Isn't that crazy? But with all those years in the kitchen, including food labs in college, there are still things to learn. That's what makes it fun. We have had a crazy abundance of grape tomatoes this summer. The regular ones didn't do as well. But I have been overwhelmed with these little ones.

Then last week I saw somewhere that you could roast them. (You can roast anything, can't you?) I had done every vegetable imaginable but not this. I couldn't remember where I saw the "recipe" but I did remember the main part...200º for 4 hours. I had so many tomatoes that I could try this even though I didn't know what the rest of the directions were. If it was a disaster, so be it. 

I usually toss my roasted vegetable with olive oil and season them for roasting. But this time I spritzed the tomatoes with olive oil spray  because I wanted them all to stay cut side up. I seasoned them with *house seasoning. Then you pop them into the oven and leave them alone for 4 hours. (I did actually pull mine out after 3 hours and 45 minutes because I needed the oven for something else.) Let them cool completely. Then store them, covered, in the refrigerator. I'm sure you could use other seasonings, but this was the most basic way to do them. 

Jessica did some from our garden over the weekend. These are her before & after tomato photos above. She used herbs de provence, along with salt and pepper. Our tomatoes are sturdy little guys. Keep an eye on yours as they slow roast. I would imagine that different tomatoes—yours could be softer and juicier—might require a little different time. At the end they have shrunk by about 1/3. They will be soft, pliable and a little juicy. 

Penne Alfredo w/Roasted Tomatoes, Chicken & Broccoli

I had hoped they might make a healthy snack but we thought the flavor was too intense to eat as is. The roasting process concentrates the flavor. So the next night as I rambled through the pantry in search of supper, I had an idea. Pulled out a jar of Rao's Alfredo sauce, heated it in a large skillet while the whole wheat penne cooked, stirred in my roasted tomatoes, some sliced grilled chicken from the night before and broccoli florets. I had dunked the head of broccoli into the boiling water for a couple of minutes before I cooked the pasta. No extra pan needed.

When the pasta was done, I scooped it out and mixed it into the sauce. (Always save a little pasta water in case the sauce needs to be thinned.) Winner, winner, chicken (and tomato/broccoli/penne/alfredo) dinner! This was delicious. 

I wish I had known about roasting the tomatoes back earlier in the summer when we were drowning in the little guys. Then end result reminded me of sun-dried tomatoes...but fresher. But the directions are safely here so that I can find them next summer.

Pasta Cooked Brown Rice

My other new cooking discovery was finding out a better way to cook brown rice. After seeing the hash tag #pastacookedbrownrice several times on Instagram, I looked it up. The directions (yes, directions...not recipe) were so simple. 

• Bring a big pot of water to a boil.
• Rinse uncooked brown rice. 
• Stir rice into boiling water. 
• Let boil 30-35 minutes. 
• Drain into colander. (Make sure the holes are small enough to not lose the rice.) 
• Put the rice back into the empty hot pot. Put a lid on it, pull off the heat, and let it stand for 10 minutes to steam. 

That's it! It was perfect. The amount of rice is not critical. But I used 1 cup of uncooked rice. That makes about 3 cups cooked. You just need enough water to let it boil, just like you would cook pasta. THAT'S why they call it "pasta cooked brown rice."

As this was cooking I remembered something from my growing up years. This is nearly how my mother cooked white rice. I remember she rinse it, boiled it, drained it. But then she put the colander over a pot of boiling water and let it steam. It was the best rice ever. I wished I had paid better attention...better attention to a lot of things. 

I've only tasted something similar once since then, in a Chinese restaurant. But I was never sure about times and then college classes taught me the "proper" way to cook rice. It did not include rinsing. Now that I've thrown caution to the wind and I'm just cooking, maybe I'll try the white rice version and see if I can recreate my mother's rice. Of course, one reason hers tasted so good was because it usually was under the gravy that she made to go with the fried chicken or fried cubed steak. Ahhh, memories.

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I always keep a jar of house seasoning on the shelf. Sometimes I make a big batch. Most times I make it in this smaller proportion.
 *House Seasoning:  
1/4 cup salt 
1 tbsp. black pepper
1 tbsp. garlic powder
Mix well. Store in an air-tight container, such as an empty spice bottle or small jar. 

Roasted

Last week I roasted every vegetable in the house. Even green beans and potatoes. Roasting might be my most favorite way to cook vegetables.

Broccoli, red potatoes, green beans

I love the crispy edges. I love the deep flavor that comes from cooking in the dry heat of a hot oven.

Brussels sprouts, broccoli, red onion

Even vegetables that are not universally loved can be delicious when you roast them.  I love brussels sprouts when they are roasted, even though I have memories of yucky overcooked, mushy sprouts from childhood. I usually mix whatever vegetables I have on hand. I like a mix of colors, too.

Baby carrots

Remember the roasted carrots I made last week? One reader (Bev from Tennessee) said she followed those directions and roasted parsnips and apples. I want to try that soon. I used these same directions for all of these combinations:

 I tossed them with a little olive oil and sprinkled with House Seasoning and roasted at 425 degrees for 25 minutes, stirring halfway through. Just cook until everything is done. If you're using the potatoes, cut them in small chunks so that they will cook in the same time as the other vegetables.

For softer vegetables, like yellow squash, zucchini, and asparagus, I sometimes up the oven temp to 450 degrees. With the sturdier veggies, I like to cook a tiny bit slower. But the temp is really up to you—anywhere from 400-450 can work. I've done them all. Stir after 10-15 minutes. And then watch to see when they are brown.

I had roasted tomatoes the week before to go with grilled chicken. And the week before that, Jessica had roasted vegetables as part of her sheet pan dinner that she cooked for our dinner one night.

Cherry tomatoes, red onion

Brussels sprouts, apples

Well. After all of these pans filled with roasted goodness and after 36 years of marriage, as I pull the last pan out of the oven at the end of the week, Daddy-O tells me, "You know, I really don't love vegetables cooked this way." All I know is that he must love me. He waited a really long time to tell me this. This was the first time I've ever roasted veggies three nights in a row. He was on roasted vegetable overload.

Yes, I will still make roasted vegetables, but not multiple times in one week. And probably not two weeks in a row. A marriage is based on compromise, right?

Grilled Chicken w/Roasted Tomatoes & Onions

Mommy made this dish a couple of weeks ago when I was at their house. It was so good that we gobbled it down before I even thought to make pictures so that I could share the recipe. So when she brought the little girls here to the farm for spring break, I asked her to make it again for our dinner one night.

The recipe is adapted from one she found on SkinnyTaste.com I was able to find herbs de Provence at my local small town grocery store. That actually surprised me. But I think that means you should find it, too, without much problem if you don't already have it in your pantry. This small store also surprised me again by having "cherry tomato medley"--which is a mix of red, orange and yellow tomatoes. No difference in taste, but it's pretty when you serve it.

GRILLED CHICKEN w/ROASTED TOMATOES & ONIONS

2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
1 medium onion, sliced (we used white onions one time & red onions the next)
4 large garlic cloves
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 teaspoon herbs de Provence
salt & pepper, to taste
olive oil for coating pan
about 4 thinly sliced boneless, skinless chicken breasts or chicken cutlets (we had 5)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Combine tomatoes, onions, garlic, olive oil, herbs de Provence and salt & pepper in a medium bowl. Stir to coat veggies. Spread onto a lightly oiled sheet pan. Roast at 400 degrees for 20 minutes, or until tomatoes have softened and onion is a little brown.

Meanwhile, season both sides of chicken with salt & pepper. Cook in oiled grill pan or skillet over medium-high heat until done. (We cooked ours on the outside grill.)

To serve, spoon vegetables over cooked chicken. Garnish with fresh basil.

Serves 4   


When Mommy made it the first time, she bought chicken cutlets. At my store, it was packaged as "thinly sliced chicken breasts." You can also use regular boneless, skinless breasts and split them yourself. Cut them in half horizontally. Use a sharp knife and be careful!

Are you cooking for people with special diet requirements? This recipe works with the gluten-free diet, the low-carb diet, the no-red meat diet and the low-calorie diet. If you are counting points, you can find the Weight Watcher stats on the Skinny Taste original recipe. I have friends who are vegetarian and vegan, too. I'd have to ask them, but I'm thinking maybe the garlicky tomato/onion part of this could be spooned over a baked potato. But the main reason to make this? It's delicious!

Finally...A New Recipe

Italian Turkey & Veggie Skillet 

When your body starts craving vegetables, it probably means you should have upped your veg intake a couple of weeks ago. We usually eat a lot of vegetables here but lately things have gone a little sideways. Life happens.  

And there were vegetables in the fridge left over from Little Sister's pasta salad making last weekend that needed to be used pronto. I still had a half a large zucchini, half a large yellow squash and some diced onion, washed and bagged.

Mommy and J-Daddy did most of the cooking last weekend and they left me a package of ground turkey that didn't get used. I found one can of fire-roasted tomatoes in my pantry...pretty sure I bought that can by accident. My normal diced tomatoes are plain or seasoned with garlic/basil/oregano. I needed a quick trip to the grocery store this morning and picked up a box of baby spinach to finish the recipe.

When this recipe popped up on my Instagram feed a couple of days ago,  there was no question about making it. It basically used up everything here that I needed to cook before it wound up in the trash. Fresh things don't last forever. This was one of those recipes that you know won't be bad, but the big surprise was that it went far beyond "not bad" category  to the "really, really good" category. 

This is how I made it. So easy. So quick. So delicious. 

ITALIAN  TURKEY ANDJ VEGGIE SKILLET

1 medium zucchini (I used 1/2 of a large one)

1 medium yellow squash (again, I had 1/2 a large one)

1-lb. ground turkey (we like dark ground turkey)

1/2 onion, diced

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons minced jarred garlic (or 4 cloves fresh, minced)

3/4 teaspoon garlic powder

3/4 teaspoon dried oregano

3/4 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon salt

freshly ground black pepper, to taste

14.5-oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes, with juice

3 cups fresh baby spinach

Quarter the zucchini and squash lengthwise and cut into thick slices. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in skillet over med-high heat. Once hot, add the squashes and let cook on one side for 2-3 minutes without stirring, until it browns. Flip it over and cook the other side for 1-2 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.

Reduce heat to medium and add turkey, onion and minced garlic to skillet. Cook, breaking it up, until turkey shows no pink. Drain off any liquid. 

Sprinkle with dry spices and stir to coat. Add the can of tomatoes (not drained) and bring to simmer. Stir in the zucchini, squash and fresh spinach. Cook until spinach wilts, about 3-5 minutes.

You can served this over rice, pasta, spaghetti squash or do what we did and serve it up in a bowl and top it with a little parmesan. I am so happy that we have enough left for another meal.

If you are on Instagram, you can find the original recipe from @easyfamilyrecipes. Her measurements are a little different than mine because she used more turkey. Around here ground turkey is sold in 1-pound packages, so I adjusted my seasonings accordingly. I think I have bookmarked about half of her recipes there. They are quick, easy and family friendly. When I dug a little deeper I found her blog with the original recipe, plus some awesome tips.

• Yes. I did drain off the liquid from the turkey after browning. Sometimes I don't but this recipe needed that. 
• Yes. I think the fire roasted tomatoes made a (good) difference in the flavors, although you could certainly use another kind.
• No. I didn't measure 3/4 teaspoon precisely. Just don't fill up the 1 teaspoon measure all the way.
• Yes. We will make this again for sure!

Feed Your Children Well

Grilled Chicken w/Roasted Tomatoes & Onion

It was a win/win kind of evening. On our weekend visit, Daddy-O and I sat in the floor and played a board game with the granddaughters while Mommy cooked supper. I didn't lift a finger in the kitchen and Mommy got to cook without interruptions for once. A treat for all of us.

This family tries really hard to eat whole, healthy foods. They do their best to skip over things like box mac and cheese and frozen tater tots. Instead of those refrigerated "meals" labeled in yellow and aimed at kids, they get mom-made lunches, still in a box with compartments, but filled with fresh fruit, finger-sized vegetables and whole grain breads or crackers and maybe homemade chicken strips. Meals with prizes that come in bags are just an occasional treat. At home they aim for real foods. The kind that requires peeling and chopping. And they read labels carefully to choose "packaged" foods, like breads, yogurts and cereals, with the shortest list of ingredients.

When she started out in the kitchen as a new bride, about all Mommy could make quesadillas. But over the years she's developed solid cooking skills. She still needs easy recipes now—not because she lacks the skills, but she often lacks time. Like all mommies, there are a zillion things that need to be done and a half-zillion places to go every day. Thankfully she has found many delicious, easy to prepare recipes. Recipes that her family likes. It doesn't matter how "healthy" it is if they won't eat it.

Little kitchen helper.

Even with the best intentions, these little folks live in the real world, so they will encounter those "other" foods at school and birthday parties and field trips and such. They just know that those foods aren't everyday foods for them. And there are even days at home when just getting any food on the table is a miracle.

A realistic goal is the 80/20 rule. It's one I've seen others use. Aim for 80% good whole food. The other 20% you don't worry about so much. Notice I said "AIM." We all do the best we can. And like my own mother would say, "You can't do better than your best." If a box of mac and cheese is the best you can do, then go with it. I used to serve that with a hot dog cut up in it. We all have those kind of days.

Mommy called us to the table just as our board game was over. (Baby Girl won!) Supper smelled good cook as it was cooking, so we were ready to eat. This recipe is one of Mommy's best. Easy to prepare. Beautiful when it comes to the table. And totally delicious.

GRILLED CHICKEN w/ROASTED TOMATOES & ONIONS

2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
1 medium onion, sliced (red or white onion works equally well)
4 large garlic cloves
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 teaspoon herbs de Provence
salt & pepper, to taste
olive oil for coating pan
4 or 5 thinly sliced boneless, skinless chicken breasts or chicken cutlets 
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Combine tomatoes, onions, garlic, olive oil, herbs de Provence and salt & pepper in a medium bowl. Stir to coat veggies. Spread onto a lightly oiled sheet pan. Roast at 400 degrees for 20 minutes, or until tomatoes have softened and onion is a little brown.

Meanwhile, season both sides of chicken with salt & pepper. Cook in oiled grill pan or skillet over medium-high heat until done. 

To serve, spoon vegetables over cooked chicken. Garnish with fresh basil.

Just a note about how this approach to foods can influence a child. When Little Sister (she's now in first grade) was here this summer for Mimi Camp, we were out taking flowers to friends and I asked if she would like to have lunch out. She said to me, "I'd really like a salad. Is there a place we could get salads? I'd like one with olives and chick peas." So we stopped by the large grocery store with a good salad bar and make salads to take home. Not what I had in mind, but it was a perfect choice. Mommy, you are doing a good job!

Happy Halloween!

Last Of The Summer Tomatoes

Tomato Bruschetta

Actually I'm not sure if the tomatoes are winding down or not. The rest of the garden has nearly fizzled out. We are getting one or two okra pods at a time. Still a couple of cucumbers every few days. The occasional pepper is found. The squash is gone. But the little grape tomatoes are hanging in there. We might still have these little jewels until frost. Time will tell.

I have used them in so many ways. All good. I've made the pasta with tomatoes, basil and fresh mozzarella about once a week. I've sliced them into salads. I'm marinated them with the garden cucumbers in balsamic vinegar (dark or white) with a good shake of whatever seasoning blend is at hand. I've skewered them with fresh basil and mozzarella balls and drizzled them with seasoned olive oil. I've made salsa. I've slow roasted them more than once and stashed some in the freezer. I've even lined up tiny slices on sandwiches. A little hard to eat but tasty.

And then one more recipe came across my computer screen. It was so simple. Slice the tomatoes and sliver the fresh basil. (We are also loaded with basil in the garden.) Add a little olive oil, salt and pepper. And scoop onto grilled bread. Oh. My. Goodness. It tastes like summer.

When I got home with my grocery order pickup I discovered they had made a rare mistake. My order included a container of grape tomatoes that I didn't order. MORE tomatoes! But these happened to be assorted colors. I doubt it would really affect the taste, but the yellow and dark red tomatoes mixed with our red ones did make a beautiful photo.

This was the most delightful light lunch for two on the screened porch. Sometimes it's hard to beat simplicity. I'm now looking forward to making it again—soon—for an appetizer. It was absolutely delicious.

TOMATO BRUSCHETTA

grape or cherry tomatoes

fresh basil leaves

extra virgin olive oil

salt

freshly ground black pepper

Italian loaf or other sturdy bread, cut into 1/2-inch slices

Cut tomatoes into halve and/or quarters. Slice fresh basil leaves into fine slivers. Stir tomatoes and basil together in a bowl and sprinkle with olive oil, then salt and pepper. Toss to mix. Set aside while grilling bread.

Heat a cast iron skillet (or other heavy skillet) over medium-high heat. Brush bread slices with olive oil. Grill bread in hot pan, both sides, until golden brown. Spoon tomato mix onto grilled bread and serve immediately.

1 cup tomatoes and 1/4 cup slivered basil made enough to top 4 to 5 slices of bread.

 

Lesson From My Kitchen

When Daddy-O went out to pull up the straggly garden plants, he harvested a few vegetables instead. He discovered a handful of green beans ready to be picked. there have not been any for some time. This was their last hoorah. He also cut about 6 pods of okra. And well, those little tomatoes...I'm not sure they will ever stop! I suppose frost will get them eventually.

One thing I've pushed myself to do this strange summer is to cook without a "recipe." You don't always need a recipe, but you do need to know some basic cooking directions. Last week I wanted to do the easiest dinner possible and use up these last garden vegetables. Sheet pan dinners are as easy as they come.

 Instead of looking for a recipe, I looked for cooking times and temps for chicken tenders. I had a package that needed to be cooked pronto. I've done sheet pan veggies many times and I knew how they cooked. I searched "chicken tenders sheet pan meal." And a few actual recipes popped up. I was not interested in anything but the cooking time/temp. 

My preferred temperature for oven roasted vegetables is 425º on the convection setting. They roast quickly and get beautifully browned and crispy. I had also done them at 400º, so I knew that was an option. On a few times, I've roasted things at 450. 

I needed to know about cooking the chicken tenders on a sheet pan. So many recipes. So many temperatures and times. But I did find a recipe for chicken tenders on a sheet pan at 425º, cooked for 20 minutes.That fit perfectly with how I like my veggies. I didn't bother with recipe specifics. I only wanted the basics. Here's what I did...

SHEET PAN CHICKEN TENDER VEGGIE MEAL

• Preheat oven to 425º. Use convection setting if you have it. Without convection, it might take a little longer.
• Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Put sliced/cut vegetables on pan, being careful not to crowd. Drizzle a little olive oil over all veggies and use hands to toss them, making sure all are coated. Sprinkle with house seasoning, OR salt, pepper, garlic powder, OR seasoning of your choice. 
• Rub a little olive oil on the end of pan reserved for chicken tenders. Season tenders and line them up on one end of sheet pan. Brush with a little olive oil (I used my hands and rubbed some on) and season. 
• Press panko crumbs on each tender and spray with olive oil spray or other cooking spray. Sprinkle a little more seasoning on top.
• Roast for 20-25 minutes. Watch carefully near the end and check that you are not overcooking. 20 minutes was fine for this pan. 
• Cut grape or cherry tomatoes in half. Toss with a little oil. 
• With 10 minutes remaining, add tomatoes to the pan and sprinkle with seasoning. 

I turned Daddy-O's meager harvest into a feast for two. It was delicious! And knowing this was the last of the garden vegetables (not talking about the tomatoes) made it even sweeter.

Remember, THIS IS NOT A RECIPE. It's a starting pace. An idea. A launching pad. I had green beans and okra and little tomatoes to cook. You might have other vegetables. Next time I won't have this combo from the garden . Or you might have even a different meat. Spend a few minutes to check recipes for times and temps to make your combination work. Make sure your veggies are dry before you roast them. Wash them, of course, but pat them dry, or let them sit out a while to dry.

You are free to use any seasoning you like. The seasoning for Sausages & Veggies w/Mustard Sauce would be good to use if you want to make your own. And there are many good  bought seasoning mixes. Just pick your favorite. Or, go a little crazy and sprinkle an assortment of herbs over the pan! Another time, I might just cook the chicken tenders this way and do side dishes on the stove top. Do not get locked into this as a "recipe." 

This turned out better than I expected. The chicken tenders were browned and crispy. I did not turn them over during cooking. The vegetables were nice and crispy. I did stir them when I took the pan out to add the tomatoes. And 10 minutes was plenty of oven time for those little guys.

Please know...you can do this at a different temperature. Sometimes I roast vegetables at 400º if that works better with the rest of my meal. That will take a little longer. Watch and go by color. I did use a meat thermometer to check the chicken. That's the safest way. If you don't have one, cut a piece open to make sure it's cooked through.

Here is another panful of my most cooked recipe this summer—Grape Tomatoes & Pasta.  It was as good  this weekend as it's been every time I've made it. I've lost count of how many times I've made this during the summer. It's a delicious way to put a dent in the grape tomatoes harvest. And many of my friends have made this and loved it. I know I can buy the tomatoes and the basil in the store all year, but this has been a special recipe for us, knowing the star ingredients came from our back yard.

And here it is for the very last time with our garden tomatoes. It's a little different than usual. Using that same principle above, I used the basic recipe—which really wasn't a recipe—and changed it up to make do with what I had here.

I didn't have any fresh mozzarella. And I did have green peppers from the garden. So this time I sautéed diced peppers and onions a little before adding the tomatoes which I cut in half this time. After I added the cooked spaghetti and stirred it all together. Then I sprinkled shredded mozzarella on top and popped the pan into a 350º oven for about 10 minutes to let the cheese melt. This was so good.

Be brave in the kitchen. Out of an ingredient? See if you can find a reasonable substitute and skip a trip to the store. Or can you leave something out all together? Be brave.

 

Those Long Mommy Days

I have been grandmother-in-residence here for a full week now. Still a couple of days to go before I head home. I am in awe of how Mommy gets it all done. And I am in awe of all the mommies everywhere. The ones who stay at home. The ones who work outside the home. It is a 24/7 kind of world where one never stops, never sits down for more than a minute or two.

I have watched Mommy eat dinner (more or less) while jumping up from the table a dozen times during the meal. I've watched her wrangling those wiggly, squirming little bodies into car seats multiple times a day as they head off to school, dance lessons, choir practice, etc. I have watched her calmly take one to the after hours urgent care for a silly emergency—but still one that needed attention.

I have watched her be referee, peacemaker, chauffeur, nurse, counselor, costume designer, librarian, chef, busboy, and teacher. I have watched her firmly send one or the other to time out and lovingly welcome them back after a few minutes of quiet time. I have watched her patiently listen to a teenager who is navigating high school.

And I have watched her manage a meal schedule that might have killed me. (In reality, I did this, too, but have blocked it from my memory.) Eating healthy foods is important in this household, so supper from a drive-thru doesn't happen. That means Mommy has tried to figured out a plan that gets supper on the table even on the days when they walk back in the door at 6:30 pm. She relies on slow cooker meals, make ahead meals, and meals like this one that can be done in about 30 minutes.

When she married, Mommy barely cooked, but goodness how she's learned. I smile when I see her working confidently in her kitchen. All while monitoring the little ones who are playing and possibly squabbling. She has come a long way.

Last night I was home while she took the littles to choir practice and could help a little with the prep. (I sliced the veggies and preheated the oven.) But whether you have a grandmother helper or not, this is an incrediably easy meal to prepare. It is delicious. It is healthy. And it is beautiful. You may have seen it here on the blog before but it's worthy of another post.

GRILLED CHICKEN w/ROASTED TOMATOES & ONIONS

2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
1 medium red onion, sliced (white works, too)
4 large garlic cloves, minced (or 2 tsp. of jarred minced garlic)
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 teaspoon herbs de Provence
salt & pepper, to taste
olive oil for coating pan
about 4 thinly sliced boneless, skinless chicken breasts or chicken cutlets (we had 5)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Combine tomatoes, onions, garlic, olive oil, herbs de Provence and salt & pepper in a medium bowl. Stir to coat veggies. Spread onto a lightly oiled sheet pan. Roast at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes, or until tomatoes have softened and onion is a little brown.

Meanwhile, season both sides of chicken with salt & pepper. Cook in oiled grill pan or skillet over medium-high heat until done. (Or, grill them outside.)

To serve, spoon vegetables over cooked chicken. Garnish with fresh basil.

Serves 4   

We decided last night that the roasted tomato topping would also be delicious spooned over grilled and sliced flank steak. Or, I think I would be happy to spoon the tomatoes onto my baked potato along with a little cheese for a meatless meal.


You know....while it doesn't feel like it now, those long mommy days will be over in a blink. All of the endless days and nights will be a memory. And then the grandmother days start.

Good Years Together

This past weekend we took a few days off and headed to the mountains to celebrate our 34th anniversary. It was nice to slow down and just enjoy being together. The hotel took good care of us and provided a couple of nice suprises, like the dessert plate here. (Someone writes better in frosting than I do with a pen.) Thanks, Daddy-O, for lots of good years together.

The drive up the mountain was a challenge. Happily, the rest of the weekend was perfect. The first official day of fall was also our anniversary. I'm so glad that cooler weather is just around the corner. I'm pretty sure we chose this time of year to get married because it was between hay season and the soybean season. All these years later, there are no more soybeans. But I'm glad we chose a fall date all those years ago. It's just the nicest time of year.

The night before we left, I made a favorite pasta dish for our supper. I've posted this recipe before and I've made it many times. This time was maybe the best ever. Could be because for the first time I didn't use reduce-fat alfredo sauce! That was only because the store was out of it. I hate to admit how much better it was—creamy and rich. I'll likely still use the healthier sauce when I can find it, but it was interesting to observe the difference. I also changed the cooking directions this time, so the recipe below is written this "new" way. 

I have used and abused this recipe so many times—less Alfredo sauce; reduced the tomato liquid or just barely warmed them up; made it with spinach and without spinach. I've used penne and bowties. I've used flavored diced tomatoes and fire-roasted diced tomatoes. I've used plain diced tomatoes and added some Italian seasoning. I've tried jarred Alfredo sauce and refrigerated sauce. 

I've never used the smoked mozzarella that the original recipe called for. Our small town store does not sell it. However I've done it, it's always good. (So glad that half of this dish is in the freezer for another time.) Here is the most current version:

BAKED BOWTIES with TOMATOES AND MOZZERALLA

3 cups (9 oz.)  uncooked bowtie pasta (or penne pasta)

1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained (this time I used fire roasted)

2 cups Alfredo pasta sauce (I used refrigerated Buitoni sauce)

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese 

2 handfuls baby spinach

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 2-quart baking dish with PAM. Cook and drain pasta as directed on package.

Meanwhile, in a saucepan, heat tomatoes to boiling. Reduce heat to medium and cook uncovered for  6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until liquid is nearly evaporated. Stir in spinach just to wilt it.

Put Alfredo sauce into a microwave-safe bowl and heat for about 90-seconds to heat. Stir in shredded cheese. Heat another 30-seconds and stir until cheese melts. Mix in tomato-spinach mixture. 

Put pasta in the baking dish and pour sauce over it. Stir gently to mix it all. 

Bake uncovered, about 30 minutes, or until hot in center.

The original recipe calls for heating the Alfredo sauce on the stovetop, but I've always found that the sauce/cheese mixture was hard to wash out of the pan. The glass bowl in the microwave made clean up easier.

Roasted Red Pepper Tomato Soup

Roasted Red Pepper Tomato Soup

I saw this recipe on laaloosh.com a few weeks ago and immediately printed out the recipe and bought the couple of ingredients that I didn't have on hand. Then the cans of tomatoes sat on top of the printed recipe on the kitchen counter for longer than I planned.

But the fact that I had put the ingredients and the recipe together meant that I didn't forget to try this soup. Daddy-O walked through the kitchen as I was making this and commented that I was going to a lot of trouble to make supper. But it wasn't "trouble." I did chop the onions and carrots, but the rest was just stirred together. Maybe it's a good thing he thinks I worked really hard cooking supper. Shhhh! Let's not tell him any different.

I am still loving the Le Crueset Dutch oven I got for Christmas and was glad to have another new recipe to make in it. Daddy-O looked at the soup at this point and volunteered to eat the leftovers for supper. I told him that he gave me this wonderful pot and now he was going to have lots of soups to try. His reply? "You know, you CAN make other things in that pot. Like roasts. Pasta." Point taken. Before the week is over, I'll let him pick a recipe.

But when the soup was done, he liked it. He told me he thought I was making plain ol' vegetable soup (which I love) with chunks of vegetables in it. (Vegetable soup is not his favorite.) When he saw that it was a thick creamy tomato soup, all was good in his world again. He went back for seconds.

Add a grilled cheese sandwich on the side and tell your family supper's ready.

ROASTED RED PEPPER TOMATO SOUP

3 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced (or 1-1/2 tsp of jarred minced garlic)
2 (32-oz) cans diced tomatoes
1 (6-oz) can tomato paste
1 (15-oz) jar roasted red peppers, drained (my jar was 12-oz)
2 tablespoons dried basil
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cups sour cream (I used light sour cream)

In a large stock pot (mine was 5.5 qts) heat the olive oil over medium heat. Saute the onions and carrots for 8-10 minutes, until the carrots are tender. Add the garlic and cook for one more minute. Stir in the tomatoes (with juice), tomato paste, red peppers, basil, broth, salt and pepper.

Bring soup to a boil, then lower heat and simmer, covered, 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove soup from heat and stir in sour cream. Using an immersion blender, puree soup. (Or, puree in small batches in a blender.) Taste and adjust seasoning.

Serves 8  

Laa Loosh says this soup freezes well. I'll find out because some of this is already in my freezer.


If you make a few soups that need to be blended and don't own an immersion blender, you might think about adding one to your wish list. It is so much easier than transferring a hot soup in small batches to a blender. I gave one to Mommy for Christmas and when she made her tomato soup recipe, she said, "Oh my. This is much easier to make than before." 

If you are counting points for Weight Watchers, Laa Loosh says a serving of about 2 cups is 4 Smart Points if you use light sour cream. But trust me, this does not taste like a "diet" recipe.

Soup For The Non-Soup Lover

Mexican Cabbage Soup

During the holiday season—even this strange one—you might feel the need to take a food break. Not a "don't eat anything" break, but a break that calls for lighter foods. Even if the parties have been fewer, some holiday foods might have still made it to your table. (Little Debbie Christmas Tree cakes, anyone? Your special homemade fudge?) We might need foods that are not so carb loaded. But we still want delicious. And I always want easy. My friend Missy told me last week that she had made this soup for her dinner. I quickly looked up the recipe. It fits the bill of not-so-carby while being simple to put together. It's also gluten-free, dairy-free, grain-free and fits paleo and whole30 diets. What it is not, is flavor-free.

I have the same cookbook that Missy used. Both of my daughters cook from it frequently. (Mommy also recommends the Greek Lemon & Oregano Potato Soup.) When I looked up the recipe I realized I had all the ingredients here...if I made a couple of minor changes. I didn't have any beef broth here but I did have a jar of Better Than Bouillon roast beef flavor. I mixed up 6 cups of that. This bouillon base is handy to keep in your pantry, but know that it needs to be kept in the refrigerator after it's opened. And my fire roasted tomatoes were garlic flavored, so I adjusted the amount of garlic I added.

This was a perfect supper on a cold rainy night. And it was the perfect balance to the caramel cake we enjoyed that same evening. It's Daddy-O's birthday week. We had the soup again the following night for supper and Daddy-O said it was even better than the first time.

Starting to simmer.

Daddy-O is a well-known non-lover of soups. There are a couple of exceptions, but in general he does not like soup the way I do. But he declared this one "a keeper." (Could be all the meat in the soup.) That is high praise from him. 

To speed up the "making supper" process, I diced all the vegetables ahead of time. And I measured the spices into a small cup, ready to all to the pot. Then it was simple to make the soup. Here is my version. (Only minor changes from the original.) Don't let the unglamorous name throw you. It's good!

MEXICAN CABBAGE SOUP

    -makes about 3 quarts

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 lb 93% lean ground beef

1 cup diced onion (about 1/2 of a medium onion)

1 large carrot, peeled and diced

1/2 cup diced green pepper

2 teaspoons jarred minced garlic

1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

6 cups low-sodium beef broth (I used Better Than Bouillon to make mine)

1/2 head of cabbage, cut in half & thinly sliced

1 (14.5 can) fire roasted diced tomatoes, undrained

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1/4 teaspoon cumin

Pinch of cayenne (or to taste)

Juice of 2 limes (about 1/4 cup)

In a Dutch oven, heat oil over medium high heat. Add ground beef, onion, carrot, green pepper, garlic, salt and pepper. Cook, breaking up ground beef, until beef is no longer pink. 

Mix in broth, cabbage, tomatoes, chili powder, oregano, cumin and cayenne. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer, and cover. Simmer for 20 minutes, until cabbage and vegetables are tender. Stir in lime juice and serve.

If you are looking for a cookbook to add to your collection, The Defined Dish--Healthy and Wholesome Weeknight Recipes is a really good choice. Both of my daughters have cooked many of these recipes, as has my friend Missy. All of them have used the same word when they tell about the recipes here—flavorful. We don't do Whole30, but the recipes here are just good ones. And it's good to mix in some "clean" recipes along with my regulars. 

The ingredient lists can look long, but it's often only because there are more spices/herbs to be measured. I find it helpful to measure all of those before I start cooking. It's the worst to have the main ingredients in the pan only to discover you are out of one of the spices. Plus, it seems to speed up the prep process. I often measure the spices earlier in the day—or even the day before. Less kitchen time required when it's close to dinner time.

Okra Overload

The okra just keeps coming. The grass in our yard, the hay in the fields, our shrubbery, our flowers—all burned up. No rain here. But the okra? Daddy-O cuts it nearly every day. He was away yesterday for most of the day working to get the show barn ready for the livestock show that happens this weekend.

I thought it might be a good time to try a recipe that I had tucked away several weeks ago. I had everything here to make it. There are still tomatoes in our garden, too.

Interesting story...our church has a vegetable garden. Yes, our church that sits right on Main Street. Some members tend it and the produce grown goes to the food pantry so that those needing food assistance can have fresh vegetables. A friend told me last week that they were having trouble giving the tomatoes away. The tops had split on many of them and the people didn't want them. I suppose they don't look like the sturdy tomatoes from the grocery store—the ones that have been shipped across the country.

Well, weather does things to tomatoes. Too much water. Not enough water. Excessive heat. And sometimes they will split around the stem. Like the one I used in this recipe. It was a large tomato that had split at the top. I lopped off the top and went right on cooking. We can't fault people who don't know that's all you need to do.  But I'm not sure how we educate them.

OKRA SAUTEED WITH GARLIC, ONION AND TOMATO

3 to 4 cups fresh okra, sliced
1 large tomato, seeded and chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
sea salt to taste
few grinds of fresh black pepper

Heat oil in heavy skillet. Add chopped onion and saute until onion is almost translucent and soft. Add garlic and saute a few minutes more.
Add okra and tomato and saute until okra is tender, yet firm, with a little color.
Season with salt and pepper.

Serve over rice, quinoa, or enjoy it all by itself.


I did have this by itself for lunch. If Daddy-O had been here, this would have been a side dish to something. I don't think I could pass this single dish off as "lunch" to him. As I ate it, I kept thinking of all the things I could add. Fresh corn, black beans, maybe a little cheese sprinkled over the top. I would love it over rice.

I'll be honest. I will forever like okra fried best. (Home fried is better than the restaurant kind.) Roasted okra is a close second and much easier to make. But we have so much okra, I'm trying other recipes, too. This is good. I ate over half of it for lunch. I would put this recipe in the the "like it" category instead of "love it."  I have made stewed okra and tomatoes before. This is similar but not as soupy or as spicy. I usually put a bay leaf in my stewed okra.

I'll keep this recipe for another summer when we are in okra overload. But the next batch will be roasted again. Maybe before the harvest ends, I'll even fry one more pan full. Daddy-O can only hope.


UPDATE: We had rain last night. Over an inch! Still need much more, but we are thankful for this amount.